Starfleet/Ship Classes
This page lists the various models of starship used by Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets in Star Trek. NX class The NX class was conceived in the early 22nd century as part of the NX Project at the Warp Five Complex: a research and development site on Earth, where Henry Archer, Zefram Cochrane, and Captain W.M. Jefferies, among others, worked on the creation of the warp five engine. Following the construction of the first starship of the class (Enterprise), three more NX-class starships were on the drawing board by August 2151. * Type: Explorer * Length: 225m * Beam: 135.8m * Height: 33.3m * Mass: 80,000 metric tons * Decks: 7 * Crew: 83 * Max. Speed: Warp 5.2 * Armaments: 3 phase cannons, fore and aft torpedo launchers, spatial torpedoes Constitution class The Constitution-class starships were the premier frontline Starfleet vessels in the latter half of the 23rd century. They were designed for long duration missions with minimal outside support and were best known for their celebrated missions of galactic exploration and diplomacy, and were capable of operating on five-year mission cycles. The Constitution-class featured the saucer section-engineering section-warp nacelle layout common to most Starfleet vessels. All ships of the class of the same level of refit appeared to be identical at first glance, but closer inspection revealed minor detail differences on certain vessels. * Type: Heavy Cruiser * Length: 288.6m * Beam: 127m * Height: 72.6m * Mass: 1,000,000 tons * Decks: 22 * Crew: 430 * Max. Speed: Warp 8 * Armaments: Phaser banks, 6 fore photon torpedo launchers, 1 aft torpedo launcher Oberth class The Oberth-class was one of Starfleet's smaller ship designs, intended for use within the Federation's borders as a transport for supplies or personnel. They would also be used for scientific missions, studying spatial phenomena or testing new technologies. * Type: Scout, transport, supply ship * Decks: 13 * Crew: 80 * Armaments: 1 phaser bank Constellation class The Constellation-class began service as early as 2285, when at least one such ship, the USS Hathaway, was constructed by Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems at the Copernicus Ship Yards on Luna. Nearly a decade after the launch of the Hathaway, the prototype for the class, the USS Constellation, was still undergoing certification trials. During the early 24th century, the Constellation-class was noted for performing both deep-space exploration and defensive-patrol duties. By the mid-2360s, this class of "old-style" star cruiser was on the fringe of being phased out of the fleet. Those that had been decommissioned, including the eighty-year-old Hathaway, were stripped of their offensive systems and rendered "warp inactive," which included the removal of all antimatter.Those that remained in service were typically relegated to transport duties. * Type: Cruiser * Length: 310m * Beam: 140m * Height: 94m * Decks: 17 * Crew: 350 * Max. Speed: Warp 9.2 * Armaments: 6 Type-VIII phaser emitters, six torpedo launchers, 160 photon torpedoes Crossfield class The Crossfield class was a type of Federation starship in service during the mid-23rd century. Its design consisted of a saucer section, a wide secondary hull, and two elongated nacelles. It was similar in size to the Constitution class and its facilities could support over three hundred discrete scientific missions – a Starfleet record in 2256. At least two Crossfield-class ships were equipped with an experimental spore drive, a form of organic propulsion system. The technology used mycelium spores harvested from Prototaxites stellaviatori to jump or leap across the mycelial network. During such jumps, the ships were not in normal space but in the mycelial plane. * Type: Science vessel * Crew: 136 * Max. Speed: 180 light years in 1.3 secs (spore drive) * Armaments: Phaser banks, fore/aft torpedo launchers, photon torpedoes Excelsior class The Excelsior class was one of the longest-serving starship classes in Federation history. It was first launched during the 2280's and continued to serve as the backbone of Starfleet well into the 2370's. When introduced, the Excelsior class was used to carry out Starfleet's "Great Experiment": testing a prototype transwarp drive. While the transwarp experiment ultimately failed, the design of the ship proved to be reliable and efficient. After the second vessel of the Excelsior line was christened as the USS Enterprise-B, this class would become one of the most widely recognised ship designs in all of Starfleet, favoured among many members of the fleet's admiralty. * Type: Cruiser/Explorer * Length: 511m * Beam: 95.6m * Height: 86.7m * Mass: 2,350,000 tons * Decks: 34 * Crew: 750 * Max. Speed: Warp 9 * Armaments: Phaser banks, fore/aft torpedo launchers, photon/quantum torpedoes Miranda class Like the Excelsior class, the Miranda class had a long service history. It was introduced in the 2260's and served primarily as a supply ship and escort vessel. By the late 24th century, it continued to serve in some of the Federation's most severe conflicts such as the Battle of Sector 001 and multiple engagements in the Dominion War. The Miranda's configuration consisted primarily of a saucer with two warp nacelles beneath it and above and to the aft was a torpedo launcher suspended by an arch. * Type: Escort * Length: 237.6m * Beam: 141.7m * Height: 58m * Mass: 150,000 tons * Decks: 11 * Crew: 360 * Max. Speed: Warp 8 * Armaments: Phaser banks, photon torpedoes Ambassador class The Ambassador-class featured the saucer section-engineering section-warp nacelle layout common to most Starfleet vessels. It was intermediate in size between the Excelsior-class and the Galaxy-class. In addition, the class boasted at least three engineering levels. A number of Ambassador-class ships were constructed with minor alterations from the original design. The saucer section's connection to the engineering hull was shifted slightly aft, with the nacelle pylon assembly moved a corresponding distance in the same direction. Cowlings were added around the Bussard collectors, making them appear closer to that of the Galaxy-class, while the impulse engine exhaust changed from a blue to a red glow. The lower sensor dome became more elaborate and closer in appearance to the Excelsior-class and the deflector dish was modified. Finally, the width of the shuttlebay was increased and a second facility resembling that on the Excelsior-class engineering hull was mounted directly underneath the original one. Graphics were upgraded with the Starfleet insignia of the 2360s. * Type: Emissary, Explorer * Length: 524.2m * Beam: 283m * Height: 101.5m * Mass: 3,710,000 tons * Decks: 33 * Crew: 700 * Max. Speed: Warp 9.4 * Armaments: 10 phaser arrays, 2 torpedo launchers, photon torpedoes Galaxy class The Galaxy class was introduced in the 2350's and was one of the largest and most advanced starship designs in Starfleet history. These ships served a number of purposes including exploration, defense, diplomatic missions and support and rescue operations. The Galaxy class starships were also suited for accomodating civilians long-term and housed a wide variety of facilities not often found on other starships. These included a gymnasium, a racquetball court, a bar and restaurant, a concert hall, educational facilities and sixteen holodecks. This model of starship was designed with two distinct hull sections, the saucer section (primary) and the stardrive section (secondary). In extreme scenarios, the saucer could separate from the stardrive section and operate independently, though could only travel at impulse. In the event of a possible warp core breach, the crew could evacuate to the saucer section which would then separate from the stardrive section before the engine core exploded. * Type: Explorer * Length: 642.5m * Beam: 463.7m * Height: 195.2m * Mass: 4,500,000 tons * Decks: 42 * Crew: 1,012 * Max. Speed: Warp 9.4 * Armaments: 14 phaser arrays, 2 torpedo launchers, photon torpedoes, antimatter mines Nebula class Developed during the mid-24th century, the Nebula class bore similar design aspects to the Galaxy class. I possessed a saucer-shaped primary hull similar in size to the Galaxy, but a smaller secondary hull. Atop the primary hull was a superstructure which could support a variety of modules, such as the inclusion of a triangular platform, fitted with torpedo launchers, an oval platform, or additional warp nacelles. * Type: Explorer * Length: 442m * Beam: 318.1m * Height: 130.4m * Mass: 3,309,000 tons * Decks: 21 * Crew: 750 * Max. Speed: Warp 9.6 * Armaments: 8 Type-X phaser arrays, 2 torpedo launchers Defiant class One of the smallest ship designs in Starfleet, the Defiant class is nevertheless one of the most powerful as well. Developed in the 2360's, the Defiant class was intended to function as a warship. While the Federation generally didn't pursue conflict, it had suffered tremendous losses following initial contact with the Borg, forcing Starfleet to place greater emphasis on defence in their subsequent ship designs. The Defiant class was intended to act as the Federation's vanguard against the Borg, and as such was heavily armed and had next to no recreational or scientific facilities. The prototype Defiant performed poorly on its trial runs. The vessel was overpowered and over-gunned for a ship of its size – so much so that the Defiant nearly shook itself apart when the engines were tested at full power. These design flaws, combined with the decreased urgency of the Borg threat, led Starfleet to abandon the project and put the prototype away in storage. When the Dominion emerged as a threat to the Alpha Quadrant in 2370, the Defiant prototype was taken out of storage and was put to great use in exploration of the Gamma Quadrant and defending Federation territory against the Klingon Empire after the Federation-Klingon treaty had fallen apart. In 2373, the Defiant fulfilled its intended purpose when it fought against the Borg in the Battle of Sector 001 and survived. Since then, Starfleet had built a number of Defiant-class vessels which primarily act as escorts for diplomatic vessels or supply convoys. * Type: Warship, Escort * Length: 170m * Beam: 134m * Height: 30m * Mass: 355,000 tons * Decks: 5 * Crew: 50 * Max. Speed: Warp 9.5 * Armaments: 4 phaser pulse cannons, 3 phaser arrays, 4 forward torpedo launchers, 2 aft torpedo launchers, quantum torpedoes Intrepid class Developed in the late 24th century, the Intrepid class was designed for long-term tactical and exploration missions. At less than half the size of a Galaxy-class starship, it was considered "quick and smart." At the time of its launch, the Intrepid class was the fastest type of ship in Starfleet, capable of cruising at warp 9.975. When first commissioned, it featured many innovations then becoming available, not least being the tricyclic input manifold of the warp core and variable geometry pylons. The class was also the first to incorporate bio-neural gel packs and was equipped with the Mark 1 Emergency Medical Hologram (or EMH) system. Its multi-mission design was backed up by a main computer processor capable of simultaneously accessing 47 million data channels and sustaining 575 trillion calculations per nanosecond in operational temperatures from 10 to 1,790 Kelvin. * Type: Long-range explorer * Length: 344m * Beam: 132m * Height: 64m * Mass: 700,000 tons * Decks: 15 * Crew: 150 * Max. Speed: Warp 9.975 * Armaments: 14 Type-X phaser arrays, 4 torpedo launchers (2 fore, 2 aft), photon torpedoes, tricobalt detonators Akira class Introduced in 2368, the Akira-class design ditched Starfleet's usual saucer-secondary hull-nacelle design, and more closely resembled the NX-class with its catamaran shaped hull. The engineering section was tucked under the main saucer, which housed the main deflector, and some of the ship's tactical systems. The nacelles were connected via long catamaran type structures, which in turn connected to a large weapons pod, housing several photon torpedo launchers. The catamaran pylons offered a degree of protection for the main bridge, which retained its traditional location at the top of the saucer. * Type: Heavy cruiser * Length: 464.4m * Beam: 316m * Height: 87.4m * Mass: 3,055,000 tons * Decks: 26 * Crew: 500 * Max. Speed: Warp 9.8 * Armaments: 6 Type-X phaser arrays, 15 torpedo launchers, photon torpedoes Steamrunner class The Steamrunner-class was a somewhat drastic departure from other Starfleet vessels of the era, in that it featured a large saucer section, and a detached secondary hull, not completely unlike the design employed in the Oberth-class, but was joined at the aft to the ship's nacelles. The nacelles themselves were directly attached to the saucer section by large cowlings, which housed the Bussard collectors. The ship's deflector dish was housed in the rear, on the detached secondary hull, while the bridge module was inset between the Bussard cowlings. * Type: Heavy frigate * Length: 375m * Beam: 270.9m * Height: 79.5m * Decks: 18 * Crew: 200 * Max. Speed: Warp 9.7 * Armaments: 6 Type-X phaser arrays, 2 torpedo launchers, photon and tricobalt torpedoes Nova class The Nova-class was designed as a science and scout vessel, intended for short-term planetary research and analysis. It is not typically suitable for combat operations. The Nova-class had a design similar to that of an Intrepid-class starship, though smaller in size. It consisted of a saucer section with a curved triangular shape. The secondary hull was directly attached to the underside of the saucer with two warp nacelles. * Type: Science vessel * Length: 180m * Beam: 109.9m * Height: 40.6m * Decks: 8 * Crew: 80 * Max. Speed: Warp 8 * Armaments: 11 Type-X phaser arrays, 2 torpedo launchers, photon torpedoes Sovereign class Introduced in the 2370's, the Sovereign class was one of the most advanced and versatile starships of its time, showcasing a plethora of the Federation's most advanced technology. Like several Starfleet vessels of the era, the Sovereign class emphasized defence in response to the threat of the Borg. * Type: Heavy assault cruiser * Length: 685m * Beam: 250m * Height: 88.2m * Mass: 3,205,000 tons * Decks: 29 * Crew: 855 * Max. Speed: Warp 9.9 * Armaments: 12 Type-XII phaser arrays, 10 torpedo launchers, photon and quantum torpedoes Prometheus class The Prometheus class was an experimental type of warship that was introduced during the Dominion War. It showcased new systems such as regenerative shielding for defence, and had holographic emitters installed on every deck which allowed its Emergency Medical Hologram free rein of the ship in the event that wounded crew members could not be moved or otherwise transported. The most significant of the Prometheus class's innovations was its multi-vector assault mode which essentially split the vessel into three separate ships. The different sections could be controlled remotely from the bridge on the primary section and carry out attack maneauvers based on the helmsman's input. * Type: Warship, Escort * Length: 415m * Beam: 170m * Height: 113m * Crew: 175 * Max. Speed: Warp 9.9 * Armaments: 18 Type-XII phaser arrays, 3 torpedo launchers, photon and quantum torpedoes Category:Star Trek Category:United Federation of Planets